Helmet with combined neck and ear shield



w. A. STUART ET A1. 2,888,681

HELMET WITIH COMBINED NECK AND EAR SHIELD June 2, 1959 Filed Feb. 2l, 1957 NVFNTORS Vy-6M,

ATTORNEY United tates Patent HELMET WITH COMBINED NECK AND EAR SHIELD Whitney A. Stuart, New Brunswick, NJ., and Leonard G. Huxtable, New York, N.Y., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application February 21, 1957, Serial No. 641,776

3 Claims. (Cl. 2 6) The invention relates to protective helmets or the like, particularly helmets which comprise a shell of relatively rigid material such as metals alloys thereof, or synthetic plastic materials.

Such helmets are well known and, of necessity, must have a head opening larger than the largest dimensions of the head to permit the helmet to be put on and taken off. It follows then, that the same cannot have a reasonably close t in the face or neck areas unless they include portions which are hinged to the crown portion of the helmet shell. Hinges are not only expensive and heavy whereby to add to the cost and weight of the shell but they are easily damaged by the rough usage incident to military operations and are correspondingly diflcult to repair in the field.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved helmet shell of the class described.

A further object is to provide an improved shell which includes a relatively small shell body together with supplementary covering means mounted on said body for movement from inoperative positions at least substantially entirely overlying said shell to an operative position wherein the said covering means projects beyond the shell to augment the protection offered by the shell body.

A further object is to provide in combination with a relatively shallow helmet head piece, a combined neck and ear shield which is movable from an operative position wherein it depends from the crown or head piece to an inoperative position wherein it is on top of the crown.

A further object is to provide in a device like that last described above, means whereby said shield when in the inoperative position is balanced relative to the transverse center of gravity of the crown.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements of the same, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing showing a preferred form of the invention and to the following specication wherein the invention is described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of a helmet according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a front View thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3 3 of Figure 2, the shield being shown in the raised or inoperative position;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the planes of the line 5-5 of Figure 3, the shield being shown in the lowered or operative position; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, 10 designates generally a helmet head piece or crown which is preferably for the most part a substantially hollow hemisphere. The forward lower brim may be forwardly projected to provide a xed glare shield or visor 11. Above the visor 11 the crown 10 is formed with a raised boss which includes an upper shoulder 12 for a purpose to be apparent later. The rear of the brim of the crown 10 is formed with a radially outwardly projecting flange 13 the purpose of which will likewise be apparent later.

It is understood that the crown 10 is provided on the inside with suitable sweat band and head supporting cradle (not shown) when the shell is formed as a helmet liner. A typical and suitable sweatband and cradle are shown in the patent to Riddell, No. 2,25 0,275 However, when the crown 10 is worn over a liner, such sweatbands and cradle are omitted. Therefore, it should be understood that the helmet according to the invention may comprise either a helmet liner-type of head covering or it may be a mere shell for covering a helmet liner.

The combined neck and ear shield according to the invention is generally designated at 14 and comprises a substantially U-shaped segment of a hollow sphere which is disposed concentrically of the crown 10 outwardly of the latter. The shield 14 is pivotally connected to the crown 10 by a pair of coaxial pivots 15, Figure 6, which may comprise a base 16 secured to the crown 10 and having the pivot pin portion 15 projecting radially outwardly of the crown 10 and through upwardly extending ears 17 of the shield 14. Any suitable means such as the cap screws 18 may be used to secure the ears 17 on the pivots 15. Obviously, any other suitable pivot means can be substituted. The shield 14 at the rear thereof includes a radially inwardly projecting flange 19 which engages the llange 13 of the crown 10 to limit pivotal movement of the shield 14 in one direction to the operative position.

When the shield 14 is swung upwardly to the raised or inoperative position of Figure 3, the upper edge of the shield engages the shoulder 12 of the boss to limit pivotal movement in the other direction to the inoperative position. It is important to note in this connection that no latches or other securing means are necessary to hold the shield 14 in either position. Thus, when the shield is in the inoperative position it has passed over the crest of the crown 10 whereby it is secured by gravity against the shoulder or stop 12. Likewise, itis secured by gravity in the operative position. Also, it should be noted that this arrangement permits the shield 14 to ride up on the crown when the wearers head raised sufficiently to cause the lower edge 20 of the shield to engage his neck or garment collar, the shield returning automatically to the lowered position as the head is lowered. Another feature of the arrangement is that the pivots are located on the vertical plane of the transverse center of gravity of the crown 10 and the stop 12 is so located with relation to the shape of the shield 14 that the latter is in balanced re1ation to the transverse center of gravity of the crown 10 when the shield 14 is in the inoperative position. This is regarded as an important feature of the invention because it makes the helmet more comfortable to the wearer and relieves his neck of strain. This result is achieved in part by face-shield portions 21 which are integral with the shield 14 and project forwardly of the pivots 15. To some extent, such portions 21 counterbalance the rear portions of the shield when the same is in the lowered or operative position.

It follows from the foregoing that the shield according to the invention has a close ft on the crown 10 in all positions so that there are a minimum of projecting parts or portions. Likewise, it is apparent the helmet is readily donned or dotted when the shield 14 is in the raised posiaseeei S3 tion'. Also, this position is utilized for coolness when there is no need for full protection. At the same time, the shield may be quickly swung to the operative position by no more than a backward toss of the head.

While there has been shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodimentV of the invention, it should be understood that thesame is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, the invention is not limited to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

I. A protective helmet, comprising a substantially hernisphen'cal hollow crown, a separate combined'ne'ck and ear shield comprising a segment of a hollow sphere, separate and aligned pivot means on opposite sides of said helmet pivotally connecting said crown and shield together, said shield being disposed outwardly of said crown in concentric abutting relation, said crown having a brim, an integral raised boss on said crown forwardly ofY said pivot means and above said brim, said shield being pivotally movable to and from an operative position wherein it depends from said crown laterally and rearwardly thereof and a raised position wherein it abuts said boss and is entirely above said brim and said shield including means whereby when in said raised position it is in substantially balanced relation to the transverse center of gravity of said helmet.

2. A helmet according to claim 1, wherein said last named means comprises face shield portions carried by said shield and projecting forwardly of said pivot means substantial distances when said shield is in said operative position.

3. A protective helmet, comprising a crown and a separate combined neck and ear shield, separate and aligned pivot means pivotally connecting said crown and shield together in overlapping relation, said shield being movable from an operative position in overlapping depending relation to said crown to a raised position atop said crown, said shield having first and second shield portions projecting forwardly and rearwardly respectively of said pivot means when said shield is in said operative position, said rst shield portions projecting rearwardly of said pivot means and said second shield portions projecting forwardly of the same when said shield is in said raised position, raised stop means on said helmet forwardly of said pivot means and limiting movement of said shield in one direction to said raised position, and said first Shield portions being constructed and arranged to substantially counterbalance said second shield portions in said raised position of said shield.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,366,907 Dunand Feb. 1, 1921 2,248,366 Lewis July 8, 1941 2,282,830 Scudder et al. May 12, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Helmets and Body Armour in Modern Warfare, copyright 1920 by Yale University Press (page 164, Figures and HOA-120C). (Copy in Division 24.) Book Collection. 

